Matthew 13: 1-23, Third Discourse (Parable of the Sower)

The third discourse of Jesus begins with a major parable and its explanation.

Matt 13:1-2
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.

Jesus has enough followers that he has to preach from a boat out in the lake.

13:3-9

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a  crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

He who has ears, let him hear."

This is a fundamental parable in the teachings of Jesus.  To understand the ministry of Jesus, want needs to grapple with several questions:  Why does Jesus speak in parables?  And what is he saying with this one?

What does this story tell us about the lifestyle of the speaker and listeners?  (What is their experience; what do they do for a living?)

So … what is this story really about?

13:10-15

The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"  He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing,  they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or  understand.  In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "`You will be  ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever  seeing but never perceiving.  For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly  hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their  ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would  heal them.'

Note that Jesus does not really answer the disciples question....  (Certainly not to my satisfaction!)

The quote in verse 15 is from Isaiah 6:9-10.

13:16-17

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

An alert to his listeners -- people in the past longed for this day. (And those of us in the future would like to be able to return to the past and partake in it!)

13:18-22
"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly  falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

This parable is explained!  (Many parables are not!  Jesus will follow this teaching with a number of shorter parables that will not be explained.)

Jesus has a reason for teaching in parables.  What is it?

The next passage will includes some more parables, in response to questions from the disciples.